California to require carbon monoxide devices

Owners of single-family homes in California must install carbon monoxide monitors by July 1 if they have a fireplace or heater that burns fossil fuels. Homeowners who ignore the new mandate can face fines of up to $200.

The deadline for apartment buildings, hotels and dormitories to comply with the new regulation is not until 2013.

Carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas, is responsible for 30 to 40 deaths in California every year, according to the state’s Air Resources Board. California joins 24 other states in mandating installation of the devices.